Intake manifold attachment



Sept. 9, 1958 s. E. KIVI-:LA

' INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT Filed April 22. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

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S. E. KIVELA INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT Sept. 9, 1958 Filed April 22, 1957 2,851,027 Patented Sept. 9, 1958 ice INTAKE MANIFOLD ATTACHMENT Stanley E. Kir/ela, Fond du Lac, Wis. Appiication April 22, 1957, Serial No. 654,173 4 Claims. (Cl. 123-187.5)

This invention relates to an attachment for a motor vehicle induction system, and more particularly'to a device for applying an additional preliminary fuel into the engine intake manifold to facilitate starting the motor vehicle in cold weather.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an attachment for a motor vehicle induction system which facilitates starting in cold weather by adding in the explosive vaporous mixture a charge of heated gas, as propane.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a motor vehicle which enables the'use of bottled gas for use in applying an explosive charge to the engine induction system. In addition to this there are means operatively associated with the passageway through which the gas must travel, for heating the gas, the heater being adapted to be electrically operated whereby it is independent of engine operation. Therefore, the heater may be turned on for the purpose of preheating at least a small part of the passageway through which the gas travels. Then, the valve which controls the admission of gas to the passageway, may be opened so that a charge may pass therethrough, through the warm heater and into the intake manifold of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical attachment for a motor vehicle which may be installed as original equipment or may be in the form of a supplementary attachment of the type that is purchased at retail outlets and placed on the motor vehicle by the owner. A feature of the invention is its ease of assembly and the fact that bottle gas is now used quite extensively for home torches and such bottles of gas are therefore, readily available and are used in the invention.

Other objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view of an engine induction system and instrument panel of a motor vehicle, this View showing an attachment constructed in accordance with the invention applied to these parts of the motor vehicle;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gas heater and adapter for'the intake manifold of the engine;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the adapter in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the heater and taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modification showing the same applied to fragmentary parts of a motor vehicle quite similar to those of Figure l;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 and showing an alternate means for applying the gas into the engine induction system; 'v

Figure Sis a sectional view of said modified heater, and

Figure 9 is a perspective View of a jet which is replaceable in favor of the jet which is to be matched with the particular manufacturers make of automobile induction -and they involve a built-up tube 90 system suction so that the attachment'is capable of being matched with the motor vehicle with which it is to be used.

In the accompanying drawings there is infFigure 1 an engine induction system 10 having an intake manifold 12 on which the ange 14 of the carbureter riser is adapted to be seated and bolted. An adapter 16 is interposed between the ange 14 and the manifold 12, this adapter having mounting ea'rs 18 and 20 through which the carbureter mounting bolts are passed. An annular groove 22is formed inthe adapter 16 and is in registrywith the bore of nipple 24. Inwardly opening ports 26 are registered with the annular groove 22 and with the throat 28 of manifold 12. .I

Heater 30 is constructed of a body, preferably tube 32 which is of a good metallic heat conductor and which has a longitudinal passageway 34 extending completely therethrough. One end of the tube is threaded on the externally threaded nipple 24, while the other end has an externally threaded nipple 36 to which coupling 38 is adapted to connect. This coupling has a conduit 40 thereon. Jet 42 which is calibrated in accordance with the motor vehicle with which the attachment is applied, is threaded in the nipple 36.

Heating element 44 is encapsulated within a case 46 and fitted around the exterior of tube 32. Insulated binding posts 4S and 50 are attached to the heating element, one being adpated to connect to a source of elec-Y attached to tube 32 and to the binding post above thel,

insualting washer 66. Other mechanical expedients for rigidity and Ystrengthy of construction such as this may be resorted to.

Console panel 56 is bolted or otherwise attached to instrument panel 62 where it is readily accessible. Conduit 40 is connected by coupling 68 to a short pipe 70 that passes through a hole in Console panel 56 and that is backed by the body of valve 72. The Valve is of standard construction and is of the type which is capable of being manually opened and closed by rotation of the handwheel 74. A standard gas tank 76 of the type which is very popularly used with home torches and sold under a number o f trade names, is threaded into the valve body in the customary way.

In operation the motorist, particularly on a cool or cold day will close switch 58 thereby energizing the heater 30 and preheating the tube 32 thereof. After a minute or two the heater will become quite hot and safely so in View of the resistor 54 that is in series with the heating element 44. Then, the motorist opens the valve 72 and causes the gas that is held under pressure within tank 76 to pass through conduit 40 and the passageway 34 of the heater. Thereafter, the heated gas passes into the engine induction system through the adapter 16 and facilitates the starting of the motor vehicle.

A modification of the invention is shown in Figures 5-7. The components are essentially the same with the console panel 56, source of gas, switch, resistor and wiring being essentially the same as in Figure l. The differences of construction are seen best in Figures 6 and 7 which corresponds to tube 32. -Tube is made of two double threaded fittings 91 and 92 that have flanges 93 and 94 ntern a mediate the ends thereof. These fittings are threaded in bore 95 of the body 97 of heater 98. Heating element 100 is in a cavity 102 formed in body 97 and has a terminal 104 which en ds in binding post 106 to which wire 108 is secured. Insulation 110 surrounds the heater 100 and the terminal 104, the latter being centered within a central passage in plug 114 that is threaded in the outer end of body 97.

Coupling 38 attaches conductor 40 to the nipple 120 of tube 90. The jet 42 is threaded in nipple 120, corresponding exactly to the function and location of jet 42 in nipple 36.

Flange 94 abuts bushing 124 that is fitted over nipple 126 of tube 90 and that is passed through an aperture 128 in the intake manifold riser 130 of the motor vehicle induction system. Bushing 132 is on the inside surface of the riser 30 and threaded on the nipple 126 behind jet tube 134. This tube is elongated in the direction of air flow and has a plurality of orifices 136 in the bottom thereof. The operation of this form of the invention is identical to the operation of the form disclosed in Figure 1.

Figure 8 illustrates a further modification Where heater 140 is of a slightly different type. Here, the heater body 142 is provided with an opening 144 to accommodate a tube such as tube 32. A central cavity 146 is formed in body 142 and accommodates the resistance heater 148 which is insulated by sleeve 150 from the side walls of the body 142. Conductors 152 and 154 extend from opposite ends of the resistance heater and terminate in binding posts 158 and 160 with which to connect electric wires such as those shown in Figure l. The conductors .152 and 154 extend through hollow plugs 162 and 164 that are located in the threaded opposite ends of the body 142. Here too, the operation of this form of the invention is the same as the operation of those previously described.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. An attachment for a motor vehicle that has an induction system, said attachment comprising a valve, a container of volatile gas under pressure removably secured to said valve, a gas conductor adapted to register with the induction system of the motor vehicle, a heater in heat exchange relationship to said conductor between 4. the induction system of the motor vehicle and said valve, and a fixed diameter jet in registry with the passageway of said gas conductor and upstream of said induction system.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine that has an induction pipe, a source of gas under pressure to facilitate starting of the motor vehicle, a valve to control said source and operatively connected therewith, a gas conductor extending from said valve and operatively connected with the induction pipe of the motor vehicle, means including an electric heater interposed in the length of said gas conductor ahead of said induction pipe to apply heat to the gas prior to entry into said induction pipe, a console panel adapted to be secured within the motor vehicle and to which said valve is secured, and a switch carried by said panel and wired operatively with said heater to control the same.

3. An attachment for a motor vehicle that has an induction system, said attachment comprising a valve, a panel adapted to be secured in the motor vehicle and to which said value is secured, a container of volatile gas under pressure removably secured to said valve, a gas conductor adapted to register with the induction system of the motor vehicle, a heater in heat exchange relationship to said conductor between the induction system of the motor vehicle and said valve, said conductor having a passageway through which the gas passes, a calibrated jet in communication with said passageway, and means separably fastening said jet to said conductor.

4. An attachment for a motor vehicle that has an induction system, said attachment comprising a valve, a container of volatile gas under pressure removably secured to said valve, a gas conductor adapted to register with the induction system of the motor vehicle, a heater in heat exchange relationship to said conductor between the induction system of the motor vehicle and said valve, said heater including a heater body, a heating element adjacent to said body and on the exterior of said body and also on the exterior of the induction system, said body having a gas flow passageway, and a fixed diameter jet in registry with said passageway and separably connected therewith.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,250,465 Ienney Dec. 18, 1917 1,544,306 Franzen June 30, 1925 2,364,356 Greathouse Dec. 5, 1944 2,706,977 Pritchard Apr. 26, 1955 2,708,922 Neely May 24, 1955 

